Propelling vessels.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

L. AUDRIETH. PROPELLING VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

L. AUDRIBTH. PROPELLING VBSSELS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

EJ114204 1 For;

Patented September 6, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

LUDWIG AUDRIETH, OF NETVARK, NEW JERSEY.

PROPELLING VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,456, dated September 6, 1904.

Application filed April 19, 1904. Serial No. 203,871. No model.)

To all wit/mt it 'nmy (1071106770:

Be it known that l, LUDWIG AUnmnrn, a citizen of the Empire of Austria-I-Iungary, residing in Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propelling Vessels, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to improved means for propelling vessels by the force of a jet of water acting on a column of water located in the hull of the vessel, said jet of water being ejected by means of force-pumps either forwardly or baekwardly, so as to impart to the vessel to be propelled a motion in either direction; and the invention consists of a cenin the hull for drawing in the water and forcing the same in an annular jot through the ejector-nozzle against the column of water in the longitudinal channel in either direction, according to the direction of motion to be imparted to the vessel.

The invention consists, further, of certain. additional details of construction, which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the hull of a vessel shown with parts broken away of my improved means for propelling vessels. Fig. 2 is a plan view, parts being broken away and parts in section, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the ejector-nozzle and easing, drawn on a larger scale. Fig. i is a side elevation of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on line 5 5, Fig. 3; and Fig. 6

is a plan view showing a modified arrangement of my improved means for propelling vessels.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the hull of a modern vessel, and B a central channel or duct extending longitudinally through the hull near the keel, said duct being provided at the bow and stern with inletopenings 11 and central partitions 7) for dividing the water entering into the central duct. The ends of the duct near the partition I) are preferably made of square cross-section, while the main portion of the duct B is made round in cross-section, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. At a point near the center of the vessel is arranged in the duct B an ejector E, which is attached by sleeves S to the section of the duct B and provided with inclined stationary nozzles 1', the adjacent edges of said nozzles 1' being separated from each other by an annular opening 0, as shown clearly in Fig. In the obtusely-angled space formed by the inclined nozzle-sections is arranged a slidable annular nozzle-section w, of which the sides 1 adjacent to the inclined sides of the alined nozzle-sections w, are arranged at the same obtuse angle of inclination, so that one inclined side or the other of said nozzlescction w can be moved into contact with one or the other of the inclined sides of the nozzlesections 1*, as shown in Fig. 3. For this purpose the nozzle-section (1 is connected by means of rods if with a suitable shifting mechanism, so that it can be moved longitudinally in either direction and placed in contact with the sides of either of the stationary nozzle-sections e.

The ejector E is surrounded by an annular casing or chest E, which is provided with suitable stuffing-boxes 2. for guiding the shiftmg-rods (5 of the shdable nozzle-section, said chest E being preferably composed of two parts that are riveted together at their flanged adjacent ends 11/, the chest portions being preferably made integral with the nozzles c.

On the chest E is supported a receiver 1), on which is in turn supported an air-chamber l), as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4:. The lower end of the air-chamber l) is connected by a tubular coupling D with the chest E of the branch pipes G the pump can always operate ejector, the inner end of the coupling-tube being provided with a valve-seat on which rests a valve (Z, the valve-stem (Z of which is guided in a stuffing-box u at the upper end of the air-chamber D and operated by any suitable mechanism for opening or closing the valve (Z of the receiver D. The receiver D is connected at one side with a supply-pipe F, provided with a check-valve it, the opposite end of said pipe being connected with a rotary pump P, the piston of which receives motion from a steam-turbine T, coupled directly to the piston-shaft.

The pump P sucks in water through either one of the two branch pipes G, which are connected with openings 0 in the hull of the vessel, said openings being provided with gratings for preventing the ingress of extraneous matters, the inner end of said branch pipe G being connected with the lower end of the pump P. When the steam-turbine is set in motion, the pump is operated, and water is sucked in through one of the branch pipes Jr, according to the desired direction of motion of the vessel. The water is forced by the pump P into the receiver D by means of pipe F and checkvalve it from the receiver through the coupling into the ejector-chest and through the annular space formed between the nozzle-sections into the longitudinal duct, so as to act with full force on the column of water in the same and eject the same in the direction of the duct, so as to propel the vessel in the direction opposite to that of the column of water ejected. \Vhen the slidable nozzle-section is placed in position, (shown in Fig. 3,) the water will enter through the left-hand annular channel and leave the ejector-nozzle in the direction of the arrows, forcing thereby the column of water in the duct in the direction of the arrows and imparting motion to the vessel in an opposite direction.

hen it is desired to reverse the motion of the vessel,the slidable nozzle-section e is shifted by the shifting mechanism shown so that an annular ejector-opening of opposite inclination is formed, while the opening before opened is closed by the contact of one side of the nozzle-section a with the adjacent nozzle-section c. The water is thereby forced into the longitudinal duct B in a direction opposite to that formerly given to the water, so that the vessel is moved in a direction opposite to that formerly imparted to the same. When it is desired to arrest the motion of the vessel, the motion of the steam-turbine is interrupted, so that no water is drawn by the pump and forced through the receiver and injector into the central longitudinal duct. For short stops the valve in the receiver may be closed without interrupting the motion of the steam-turbine.

The motion of the steam-turbine is never 5 reversed, as owing to the arrangement of the in the same direction, the pipe G drawing in the water when the vessel moves toward the left in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, the water passing then through the longitudinal duct B in the same direction as indicated by arrows in said figure. The water is also ejected through the ejector-nozzle in the same direction and leaves the duct B at the right-hand end of the vessel. When the motion of the vessel is to be reversed, the slidable nozzle-section is shifted so that the water is forced through the ejector-nozzle and in the opposite direction to its former direction, the water drawn in through the branch pipe G, and the column of water in the duct B ejected in the opposite directionthat is to say, it is drawn in at the right-hand end and ejected at the left-hand end of Fig. 2.

To prevent breakdowns, it is advisable to arrange a reserve pump P and steam-turbine T in connection with the receiver D, said auxiliary pump and steam-turbine being set in motion in case of a breakdown of the primary pump P and steam-turbine T. In this case two additional branch pipes G are arranged with openings at the opposite side of the hull and connected with the auxiliary pump P. The steam-pumps P P and steam-turbines T T can also be arranged at opposite sides of the longitudinal duct B parallel with each other and connected with the receiver D, as shown in Fig. 6, or in place of one ejectornozzle and receiver two ejector-nozzles and receivers can be arranged, preferably at some distance from the median line of the longitudinal duct, in which case two ejectors act on the column of water in the longitudinal duct B so as to exert nearly twice the power of propulsion on the water ejected at the end of the duct as when one ejector-nozzle and receiver only is employed.

The water-admission openings at the ends of the longitudinal duct B are divided by partitions into smaller openings, the partitions serving to break up the body of water and preventing any large fish or other obstructions from being sucked into the duct. The vertical and horizontal partitions are arranged at the bow and stern ends of the duct, so as to exert the same action on the entering water in whatever direction the vessel is moved.

My improved system of propelling vessels by water ejected through a longitudinal channel or duct is specially adapted for vessels which are to act as tow-boats in canals and navigable rivers where the wash of the banks is to be avoided, also as means for propelling torpedo-boats, submarine boats, and other war vessels, also for larger vessels of all kinds, as the improved system substitutes steamturbines for the cumbrous reciprocating marine engines and hydraulic power instead of propellers as a means for propelling vessels. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a hydraulic propeller, the combination with the hull of a Vessel having a duet eX- tendinglongitudinally through the same, of

an intermediate ejector-nozzle in said duct, a chest in communication with said ejector-nozzle, a receiver connected to said chest, a pump connected to said receiver, and tubes connected with openings in the hull and with said pump for supplying a continuous stream of water to said ejector-nozzle.

2. In a hydraulic propeller, the combination with the hull of a vessel, having a duct extending longitudinally therethrough, of an ejector in said duct, said ejector comprising ahned stationary nozzle-sections, having inclined faces, said nozzles having an opening between the same, a slidable nozzle-section interposed between said stationary nozzle-sections, means for shifting said slidable nozzle 1 into contact with either of said stationary nozzle-sections, and means for. supplying water to said e ector.

3. In a hydraulic propeller. thecombination with the hull of a vessel having-a longitudinal l duct through the same, of an intermediate e ector in said duct, said e ector comprising alined stationary nozzle-sections having oppositely-tapering faces, a slidable nozzle-sec- I tion interposed between said nozzle-sections,

said slidable nozzle-section having faces parallel to those of said nozzle-section; means for guiding the slidable nozzle-section; means for shifting said slidable nozzle-section into contact with either of said stationary nozzleseetions, and means for supplying water to said ejector.

4. In a hydraulic propeller, the combination LUI) W I G A UD RIETH.

\Vitnesses:

PAUL Gonrrzn, HEN Y J. SUIIRBIER. 

